Fire-escape.



No. 774,470. I PATENTED NOV. 8, 1904, J. HAMILTON & N. LEWIS. FIREESCAPE.

APPLIOATIGN FILED FEB.2, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

7 WITNESSES: 7 fl/NVENTO? I d /7 077/ 0/7 By eke/7461403 A 77'OHNE YUNTTEE STATES Patented November 6, 1904.

PATENT @EETEE.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,470, dated November8, 1904.

Application filed February 2, 1904. Serial No. 191,744. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN HAMILTON and- NELSON LEWIS, citizens of theUnited States of America, and residents of the city of Seattle, in thecounty of King, in the State of WVashington, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to improvements in reaches, and has specialreference to a device 1 of this class of general utility in scalingbuildings, cliffs, or the like or in reaching objects inaccessible tothe grasp.

The object of this invention is to provide a collapsible reach of simpleand inexpensive construction and which embodies essential features ofadaptability and adjustability which render it non-flexible as projectedand flexible as retracted, widens the scope of its usefulness, andpermits of its being coiled for transportation.

The above-mentioned and other desirable objects are attained by theconstruction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as disclosed on thedrawings, set forth in this specification, and pointed out in theappended claims.

Vith reference to the drawings filed herewith and bearing like referencecharacters for corresponding parts throughout, Figure 1 is a face viewof a portion of the reach shown with the units adjusted to render thedevice flexible. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a portion of thedevice shown with the units adjusted to render the reach non flexible.Fig. 3 is a like section showing the units adjusted to render the deviceflexible. Fig. & is aview in perspective, showing a portion of abuilding at the eaves and the reach attached thereto; and Fig. 5 is aperspective view showing the reach engaged with a log and connected witha take-up.

This invention consists of a collapsible reach composed of a suitablenumber of units or links, as 10 and 11, which are arranged alternatelyand are pivotally connected in the form of a chain and are so connectedthat contiguous units or links will have a limited longitudinal movementor adjustment one on the other. Embodied with contiguous units or linksare parts which interlock when the links are ad- I justed inwardly andprevent them from swinging on their pivotal connections, and therebyrender the device non-flexible, and these interlocking parts are soarranged that they disengage when the units or links are adjustedoutwardly and permit the links to swing on their pivotal connections,and thereby render the device flexible.

The units or links 10 each consists of opposite bars, as '12, arrangedat suitable separation and connected by pivot-pins 14E, seated on thebars adjacent each end, and the links or units 11 each consists of asingle bar fitting freely between the ends of the bars of respectivelinks 10 and having an elongated pivotaperture 15 adjacent each endwhich receives a respective pivot-pin 1 1 freely and is of suitablelength to permit of the desired adjustment of the links upon each other.

Seated in the units or links 10, adjacent each pivot-pin, is a catch 16,which consists of a transversely-disposed pin seated in thebars 12,close to the end of link 11, and on the ends of links 11 are oppositelongitudinally-disposed ears 17 and 18, which are arranged to embracethe catches of contiguous links 10 when the links are adjusted inwardly,and thereby prevent them from swinging on their pivotal connections andrender the reach nonflexible. In the present instance the ears 17 areformed somewhat longer than ears 18, so as to lie opposed to the catches16 when the contiguous links are adjusted outwardly, and thereby serveto prevent the links from swinging on their pivotal connections in onedirection when lying at any point of longitudinal adjustment, while thecars 17 are formed of suitable length to lie clear of the catches whenthe links lie at the outer point of adjustment, and thereby permit thelinks to swing upon each other in one direction when so adjusted andrender the reach flexible in one direction, so that it can be coiled orwound up.

One end unit or link of the reachis formed with opposite hooks, as 19,at the free end, by means of which the reach can be engaged withprojections on buildings or cliflts or made fast to logs or otherobjects, as desired in using the same.

When desired to use the reach to scale a building or the like, the unitsor links are arranged in interlockingpositions as the device isprojected upwardly, so as to render the projected portion ofthe reachnon-flexible, and it will be of advantage to the operator to stand atsome distance from the building or clifi and project the reach at anangle toward the projection with which it is desired to engage the hookand with the short ears 18 on the units or links opposed to the buildingor clifi. After the hook is made fast the units or links are permittedto slip outwardly on each other, as promoted by their own weight, andthe reach will then swing inwardly toward the building or clifi, so thatthe climber can take advantage of the projections or crevices forfootholds. If desired to project the reach in asubstantially horizontalpositionas, for example, to reach a log in the water-the units or linksare arranged in interlocking positions, as before, as the reach isprojected, and when the hook has been engaged with the log the shore endof the reach can be attached to a suitable take-up, as arotativelymounted drum 20, and the drum operated to wind the reachthereon. WVhen desired to project the reach at a downward angle, it isextended downwardly with the long ears 17 lying undermost, so as to keepthe reach from sagging.

This device is simple and inexpensive of construction and covers a widefield of usefulness, as it is applicable as a fire-escape and useful inmountain-climbing and logging and in numerous other ways. Furthermore,it can readily be made into a coil for transportation in a mountainouscountry where it would be impracticable to attempt to take a long rod orbar.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States of America, is

1. A reach comprising a series of pivotallyconnected units having alimited longitudinal movement relatively to each other, and interlockingmeans carried by contiguous units which prevent their swinging in eitherdirection at one extremity of said adjustment and which permits them toswing in one direction only at the opposite extremity of said adjustment.

2. A reach comprising a series of pivotallyconnected units having alimited longitudinal adjustment relatively to each other, andinterlocking means carried by contiguous units which prevents theirswinging in one direction at any point of said adjustment and in eitherdirection at one extremity of said adjustment.

3. A reach comprising a series of pivotallyconnected units arranged endto end the contiguous units having a limited longitudinal adjustmentrelatively to each other, catches on every other unit, and opposite earson the intermediate units embracing said catches when contiguous unitsstand adjusted inwardly, one ear of each pair of said ears extended inlength to also engage a respective catch when contiguous units standadjusted outwardly.

4. A reach consisting of alternately arranged units one composed ofopposite bars and pivot-pins seated on said bars adjacent the ends, andthe other consisting of a bar fitting between the ends of the first ofsaid bars and having pivot-apertures receiving said pins and elongatedto permit of limited longitudinal adjustment of contiguous units, andmeans on contiguous units which interlock and prevent the units fromswinging on said pins when they stand adjusted inwardly relatively toeach other.

5. A reach consisting of alternately arranged units one composed ofopposite bars and pivot-pins seated on said bars adjacent the ends, andthe other consisting of a bar fitting between the ends of the first ofsaid bars and having pivot-apertures receiving said pins and elongatedto permit of limited longitudinal adjustment of contiguous units, andmeans on contiguous units which interlock and. prevent the units fromswinging on said pins when they stand adjusted inwardly relative to eachother, said means being also arranged to prevent the units from swingingon said pins in one direction when they stand adjusted outwardly.

6. A reach consisting of alternately arranged units one composed ofopposite bars and pivot-pins seated on said bars adjacent the ends, andthe other consisting of a bar fitting between the ends of the first ofsaid bars and having pivot-apertures receiving said pins and elongatedto permit of limited longitudinal adjustment of contiguous units,catches on the first said units adjacent the pivot-pins, and oppositeears on the ends of the second said units embracing the said catcheswhen the contiguous units stand adjusted inwardly.

7. A reach consisting of alternately arranged units one composed ofopposite bars and pivot-pins seated on said bars adjacent the ends, andthe other consisting of a bar fitting between the ends of the first ofsaid bars and having pivot-apertures receiving said pins and elongatedto permit of limited longitudinal adjustment of contiguous units,catches on the first said units adjacent the pivot-pins, and oppositeears on the second said units embracing the said catches when thecontiguous units stand adjusted inwardly, one ear of each pair of saidears extended in length to also engage a respective catch whencontiguous units stand adjusted outwardly.

Signed at Seattle, Vashington, this 20th day of January, 1904:.

JOHN HAMILTON. NELSON LEWIS. Witnesses:

GEORGE W. WARD, Josnrn E. CHICK.

